Navigating the complexities of life often mirrors the intricate dance of words on a page, each step a deliberate choice aiming to harmonize meaning and intent. In this article, we delve into the profound wisdom encapsulated in Cicero quotes, exploring how these timeless pearls of wisdom from the ancient Roman statesman, orator, and author continue to illuminate the path of modern existence. His eloquent expressions not only shaped the contours of Roman rhetoric but also etched an indelible mark on the philosophical canvas of the world, offering guidance and insight that transcends the boundaries of time and culture.
Cicero Quotes (2024)
Cicero, the renowned Roman philosopher, statesman, and orator, stands as an enduring symbol of eloquence and wisdom. His profound influence on rhetoric, law, and philosophy continues to reverberate through the annals of history. Cicero's dedication to the pursuit of truth, justice, and the welfare of the people has left an indelible mark on the principles of governance and ethical conduct.
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."
"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living."
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others."
"The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions."
"Freedom is a possession of inestimable value."
"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation."
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
"The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend."
"While there's life, there's hope."
"Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it."
"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory."
"The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn."
"By doubting we come at the truth."
"The welfare of the people is the ultimate law."
"In everything, satiety closely follows the greatest pleasures."
"In men of the highest character and noblest genius, there is to be found an insatiable desire for honor, command, power, and glory."
"We are all servants of the laws in order that we may be free."
"True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting."
"The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal."
"Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth."
"The absolute good is not a matter of opinion but of nature."
"To be attached to what is wrong, to be enraged with a fellow creature because he or she is right, is a mark of a vulgar mind."
"The shift of passion resembles the change of ambition; they are both more impatient of continuance than decline."
"If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life."
"No one can give you better advice than yourself."
"In so far as the mind is stronger than the body, so are the ills contracted by the mind more severe than those contracted by the body."
"The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil."
"There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften."
"The sinews of war are infinite money."
"The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust."
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it."
"Freedom suppressed and again regained bites with keener fangs than freedom never endangered."
"To live long, it is necessary to live slowly."
"While we are postponing, life speeds by."
"Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end."
"I never heard of an old man's missing his aim; the fault in life is our not shooting high enough."
"Virtue is the foundation of honor and esteem."
"What is morally wrong can never be advantageous, even when it enables you to make some gain that you believe to be to your advantage."
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult."
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it."
"The name of peace is sweet, and the thing itself is beneficial, but there is a great difference between peace and servitude. Peace is freedom in tranquility, servitude is the worst of all evils, to be resisted not only by war but even by death."
"In difficult times, fashion yourself as an example to others."
"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief."
"The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth."
"We should not be so taken up in the search for truth, as to neglect the needful duties of active life; for it is only action that gives a true value and commendation to virtue."
"A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within."
"The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessings previously secured."
"In times of war, the law falls silent."
"To be able to enjoy one's past life is to live twice."
"The lust of avarice as so totally seized upon mankind that their wealth seems rather to possess them than they possess their wealth."
"Justice consists in doing no injury to men; decency in giving them no offense."
"The precepts of the law are these: to live honestly, to injure no one, and to give every man his due."
"To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child."
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it."
"In time of war, the laws are silent."
"A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within."
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
"It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness."
"A nation can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within."
"A happy life consists in tranquility of mind."
"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book."
"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one."
"Not for ourselves alone are we born."
"The sinews of war are infinite money."
"There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften."
"The safety of the people shall be the highest law."
"A mind without instruction can no more bear fruit than can a field, however fertile, without cultivation."
"The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessings previously secured."
"We are bound by the law so that we may be free."
"We must not say every mistake is a foolish one."
"I criticize by creation, not by finding fault."
"The good of the people is the chief law."
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others."
"The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions."
"The name of peace is sweet, and the thing itself is beneficial, but there is a great difference between peace and servitude."
"The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the investigation of truth."
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult."
"Justice is the set and constant purpose which gives every man his due."
"The inactivity of a conqueror betrays the loss of strength and blood."
"The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil."
"There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften."
"If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words."
"By doubting we come at the truth."
"The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessings previously secured."
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."
"Freedom is a possession of inestimable value."
"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation."
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
"The enemy is within the gates; it is with our own luxury, our own folly, our own criminality that we have to contend."
"While there's life, there's hope."
"Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it."
"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory."
"The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn."
"By doubting we come at the truth."
"The welfare of the people is the ultimate law."
"In everything, satiety closely follows the greatest pleasures."
"In men of the highest character and noblest genius, there is to be found an insatiable desire for honor, command, power, and glory."
"We are all servants of the laws in order that we may be free."
"True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting."
"The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal."
"Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth."
"The absolute good is not a matter of opinion but of nature."
"To be attached to what is wrong, to be enraged with a fellow creature because he or she is right, is a mark of a vulgar mind."
"The shift of passion resembles the change of ambition; they are both more impatient of continuance than decline."
"If you have no confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life."
"No one can give you better advice than yourself."
"In so far as the mind is stronger than the body, so are the ills contracted by the mind more severe than those contracted by the body."
"The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil."
"There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften."
"The sinews of war are infinite money."
"The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust."
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it."
"Freedom suppressed and again regained bites with keener fangs than freedom never endangered."
"To live long, it is necessary to live slowly."
"While we are postponing, life speeds by."
"Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end."
"I never heard of an old man's missing his aim; the fault in life is our not shooting high enough."
"Virtue is the foundation of honor and esteem."
"The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust."
In conclusion, Cicero's wisdom transcends the boundaries of time, continuing to illuminate our understanding of governance, ethics, and the art of eloquence. As Cicero himself once remarked, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others." In these words, we find a reflection of the enduring relevance of his insights. His legacy, encapsulated in his memorable quotes, stands as a testament to the enduring power of words and the timeless relevance of his ideas in shaping a just and enlightened society.
